Make-A-Wish Teen Thomas Stephenson Was a Senator for a Day

When Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic reached out to grant a wish for 18-year-old Thomas Stephenson of Greenville, Michigan, he asked to be a senator for a day. On Tuesday, July 10, that wish was granted as he joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) for a day at the Capitol, Roll Call reported.

According to ABC’s WXYZ Detroit, Thomas has a congenital heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This diagnosis was the result of the left side of Thomas's heart being undersize. When he was five days old, he had his first of three surgeries to reconstruct the right side of his heart, giving it the ability to pump blood without use of the left side his heart.

"From there, I was kind of hooked on the political process. So I've been, throughout my life, working on campaigns since 2008," Thomas said.

During his time as a lawmaker, Thomas met with senators from both sides of the political spectrum. “That’s also something I didn’t realize, too. You hear about the fights between the parties…but there also is great bipartisanship. It’s needed and it’s also in place,” he told Roll Call. Thomas wasn’t the only one who appreciated his tenure.

“I think I’m enjoying [today] as much, if not more, as Tom is enjoying it,” Senator Peters said. “It’s been really a great day to be with him. His enthusiasm is infectious.”

“He’s been sitting through the meetings, he’s been asking lots of questions, we’ve been getting his opinion not just on the Supreme Court justice but on agribusiness, especially school affordability, which is a big issue for him as he goes to Michigan State University in the fall,” Peters added.

Thomas also sat in on meetings that discussed a topic he’s very familiar with — health care. "I just want to make sure lifetime caps were never set forward because I would definitely meet those, and preexisting conditions can't be denied, because I will always have a preexisting condition," Thomas said.

Thomas plans on staying involved with politics, with a potential run for county commissioner or state representative in the future, reported The Detroit News.

“I would love to run for office one day, however, I’m going to be pragmatic and go into the field of nursing to start with,” he said. “I know I can be involved in the political process even if I don’t have a political degree and I can get elected even if I don’t have a political degree.”